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Discusses the possibility of free will within the context of contemporary neurobiology. This work argues that consciousness and rationality are crucial to our existence and that they are the result of the biological evolution of our species. It also addresses the problem of political power within the context of this analysis.Read more...

Reviews

Editorial reviews

Publisher Synopsis

This book is a short but powerful presentation of views of the author... [it] includes interesting new arguments and is very useful... as an excellent and exceptionally clear summary of the free-will debate. -- Joelle Proust, director of research, Institut Jean-Nicod, Paris This small book speaks volumes. It shows why John Searle is the most widely read of philosophers of mind today and why he has a particularly large following among brain scientists. Searle here illustrates that he owes his success to two fundamental talents rare among philosophers. First, he is eminently readable. He is not simply interested in exposing his vast erudition but in explaining in straightforward entertaining prose what the issues of free will, language, and brain sciences are about. Second, Searle is eminently empirical. He does not see philosophy of mind as a rarefied discipline but one that is continuous with physics, biology, and brain science. Searle sees the task of philosophy as posing problems in precise enough terms to permit of an empirical, scientific solution. These two features are brilliantly in evidence in this marvelous book. But what makes these lectures particularly inviting for readers not yet addicted to Searle is that he provides here--for the first time--a broad introduction to the complete Searle. He combines in a thin volume the two major interests of his career: his early focus on language and his current focus on consciousness and free will. This is an irresistible treat for both the uninitiated and the cognoscenti. -- Eric Kandel, Nobel Laureate, Columbia University This engaging small volume serves as a token reminder of how masterfully Searle manages to combine philosophical innovation with clarity of prose. -- Constantine Sandis Metapsychology Clear and engaging. -- Randall J. Russac Science Books and Films Searle is a beacon of accessible expertise, a throwback to a time when philosophy was part of the public debate. -- David Papineau Times Literary Supplement [A] slim, elegantly written and intellectually rigorous volume. British Journal of Psychiatry A brief clearly articulated account by one the world's foremost philosophers. -- Henry Stapp Journal of Consciousness Studies Perhaps most importantly, it sets forth a suggestive vision of the systematic connections across various philosophical fields and avenues for their further exploration. -- Daniel K. Silber Philosophy in ReviewRead more...